Banish burger blahs by tucking savory surprises inside

Before you toss the usual burgers on the grill this summer. Before you endure the usual groans from bored burger eaters among family and friends. Do this: Stuff it.

JUDY HEVRDEJS

Before you toss the usual burgers on the grill this summer. Before you endure the usual groans from bored burger eaters among family and friends. Do this: Stuff it.

Yep, surprise those blasé about burgers, and up your grilling game by tucking a chunk of cheese, a spoonful of sauteed mushrooms or some chopped, grilled red pepper — and more — inside a burger patty before grilling.

Think about stuffed burgers the way cookbook author Sam Zien does: "For me, it's like a little party. Surprise! Here I am. You didn't think there was going to be a piece of feta inside."

The stuffed burger, Zien adds, "has always been an old-school kind of concept."

But before you tackle the inside job, he offers a few burger-making caveats, including buying the right ground beef for grilling which, for Zien, means a mix of 20 percent fat and 80 percent lean.

"People go to the store and see fat content and freak out and it scares them into buying a package of ground beef that has absolutely no fat in it. Then you need to make up for flavor and juiciness in many other ways," he says.

Zien's next caveat? Go easy on handling the meat. "I like the natural-looking shape," says Zien. "Who cares what the shape is? Make it the shape of your Uncle Leon's head, as long as it's an even thickness."

Stuffing can be done two ways. "Make one. Lay the stuff on top — keep it about a half-inch away from sides — then put the other patty on top and squeeze the edges together." Or form a patty, make an indentation with your thumb, stuff and seal.

Then head to the grill, stop flipping it all the time, and don't overcook it.

Some people think "they're not doing their job properly if they just put it on, walk inside and come back four minutes later with a freshened cocktail.

Mix beef and seasoning salt in a bowl. Form into 4 or 6 burgers. Combine blue cheese and butter in a small bowl; mix well. Make an indentation in middle of each burger with your thumb; fill with some blue cheese mix. Fold burger around the mix; seal well.

Lightly oil each patty; season with pepper. Heat grill to medium-high. Cook burgers, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve on toasted buns.